The Michigan Daily-Thursday, September 4, 1980-Pagot-A
v
Frye discusses the
'U'
By MITCH STUART
Billy Frye became the University's
vice-president for academic affairs
on July 1. His appointment comes
at a time of extreme economic har-
dship for the University and the en-
tire country. In an interview with
Daily staff writer Mitch Stuart, Frye
discussed his views on the problems
confronting the University, and his
now responsibilities as vice-presi-
blent.
DAILY: What is the major problem
the University will face in the next few
years?
FRYE: The major problem will be a
domplex set of things which you can
describe in this way: Managing a no-
growth or possibly shrinking budget in
a way that will maintain and hopefully
even build quality programs within the
University.
DAILY: How will you deal with this
ituation in your new'capacity?
FRYE: It gets down to a question of
program management on all levels.
And for me it's going to mean very
largely a matter of building an infor-
mation base and procedures that will
allow the University administration
and the faculty to make the best
judgments about where to put our
resources-and by implication, where
to take them away-where to shrink
and where to develop.
DAILY: It was mentioned at the
(June) Regents meeting that it will be
very important to look at faculty
promotions and tenure decisions to
make sure the University doesn't make
long-term commitments it can't keep.
How important will fiscal restraint be
in making those decisions?
FRYE: Proniotion decisions will be
tougher-they have gotten tougher.
How much tougher they will get I don't
know. My opinion is, in the parts of the
University I know, that they've
toughened up very substantially
already, and it may well be that there is
room for more tightening up of stan-
dards. To this date, to my knowledge,
we have not denied a promotion for
budgetary reasons. It may well be that
at some point we'll find ourselves
facing that question of the University's
financial need independently of faculty
merit.'I hope we will not reach the point
where we review a young assistant
professor's record and say, "This is a
superb individual, but financial cir-
cumstances prevent us from promoting.
this individual." If we do come to a
point where there has to be program
reduction-if we were to discontinue an
entire unit-then clearly, at least the
non-tenured faculty in that unit would
be discharged. And that clearly
wouldn't be a question of merit, but a
question of a decision largely
motivated-but not entirely-by finan-
cial reasons. I say "not entirely"
because hopefully we wouldfind a coin-
cidence between the individual need of
the institution and units that are less
central and perhaps of weaker quality
overall than others.
DAILY: All the University ad-
ministrators are very concerned
about maintaining the University's
drawing power for top-notch faculty.
Billy Frye,
,vice-president for
academic affairs
program of high quality will remain the
same size or grow. Quality is not com-
mensurate with size or vice versa.
Quality is a criterion, but it is not an
ultimate protector against budget
reductions.
" Demand. It is clearly a criterion to
which we should respond. Some
programs, such as computer science
and business administration, will con-
tinue to have the student enrollment
and demand, unlike certain other
areas.
* Intellectual centrality. I can't
imagine, for example, irrespective of
whether students think there are jobs in
the field or not, an English department
below a certain size because of its cen-
tral importance. Music, similarly. In-,
tellectual centrality is really two dif-
ferent things: Centrality could mean
that a field is central to the curriculum,
say mathematics, and consequently it
simple has a certain instructional load
to bear, that's not likely to be modified.
That's somewhat different than the role
math as a subject plays in the scholarly
life of an institution. Now they may
coincide-math may be central in both
senses, and I think it is-but they are
somewhat different.
" New areas. Nobody has a crystal
ball, but we ought to be doing the best
we can to judge what the potential in-
tellectual development of a field is. If
we see important new ideas surfacing,
which should be given the opportunity
to flourish and grow on this campus,
then we've got a strong responsibility to.
encourage that possibility. You can't
just use the kind of retrospective
criterion of where a field is at. You have
to also look and see where it is going.
There has to be some creative ad-
ministration.
DAILY: A computer engineering
graduate has a starting salary of more
than $20,000 per year, but a humanities
graduate has a hard time finding a job.
How is that going to affect the ad-
ministration's priorities?
FRYE: I believe we have to be
responsive to the student demand, and
when enrollments go up as they presen-
tly are in engineering and business,
that has to be one of the considerations
for the allocation of instructiongl
resources. On the other hand, we must
not pull back from the lower-enrolled
areas unduly. You've also got to make
sure that you dampen out the "short-
run oscillation"-you don't want to
make foolish decisions to grow here apd
shrink there only to have to turn arougd
tomorrow and do it all over again. *
DAILY: What do you think of the
phrase "education for education's
sake?"
FRYE: If it means what I think tit
means, I think everything of it. I think
to look at education, particularly on the
undergradaute level, simple in terms of
employability is to take a very, very,
narrow view of its potential.
Daily staff Mitch Stuart covers Re-
gents and University A dministratidn
for the Daily.
What will happen to that drawing power
if promotions decrease?
FRYE: Of course if the number of
appointments we can make are
reduced, then our opportunities to bring
in outstanding new junior faculty will
be decreased. What you have to do is
balance these forces out as best you
can. Some of the steps that will have to
be taken are bound to work somewhat
to our detriment. We will play the game
in a manner that maintains or in-
creases our position relative to our peer
institutions-to manage this problem
no worse than, and if possible, better
than anybody else.
DAILY: How is the uncertainty in
the state's (fiscal 1980-81) higher
education budget affecting your budget
planning?
FRYE: We are coming up against a
decision very soon of whether to
proceed with an extension of last year's
budget or to go ahead and enact the.
budget for next year based upon our
best prediction of what the state
allocation might be. We're ready to have
to decide by the July Regents meeting
(July 17 and 18) because they will have
to enact the budget-if we delay any
longer than that we've effectively
chosen to wait until the state acts.
DAILY: Since program decisions
are so vital, what kinds of criteria will
you use to decide which programs to
cut?
FRYE: The notion of program
reduction is in the air. What we haven't
done is deal with the procedures and the
strategic questions of how to go about
it. We haven't really specifically set up
criteria. But it's not as if I don't have
some notion of those criteria; it's not as
if we haven't thought about this often
and long over the past several years..
What kinds of criteria ought to, affect
whether a unit grows or is reduced?
" Quality. You can't simply say that a
MSA president urges
10 1students to acti~vate
other voices
The University of Michigan is
frequently depicted as a large
;corporation. The University's Board of
Regents is identical in design to
Chrysler's Board of Directors. The ad-
ministration performs like, and is as
bureaucratic as GM's management. By
extending the analogy we may liken the
faculty to workers in a factory. Even
with all of these similarities there is a
defective component in the analogy.
While shareholders in a corporation
exert significant influence on the direc-
tion of their company, students at the
University of Michigan, one of the
largest single bodies of investors in that
"corporation," have very little impact
on the governance of the institution.
I have been told by administrators
and faculty members that the the
University of Michigan would not exist
if it were a democratic institution. How
can the University teach its students
democracy when it refutes the principle
in its undemocratic attitudes and prac-
tices?
Today's students have lost the power
to affect the direction of their Univer-
sity. Unlike their predecessors of the
,1960's, University of Michigan students
have not demanded their rights to par-
ticipate in the governance of this in-
'stitution. The general complacency of
minority students can only be achieved
by overhauling and re-humanizing the
University's supportive services. We
also believe that the elimination of
racism in the institution can be
facilitated by open forums that would
uncover problems wherever they exist
and discuss ways of solving them.
The concern of students and MSA
with course evaluations has been in-
creasing in the last several years. As
students have had virtually no influen-
ce on the decisions of faculty hiring and
promotion, and since we feel that these
decisions are among the most impor-
tant to students, MSA decided last year
to initiate a program to allow students
to evaluate their courses and
professors. We felt that the former
evaluation procedures were incon-
sistent and inadequate. The initial ap-
plication of the MSA course evaluation
program proved a success with more
than 85% of LSA students completing
the questionaire. We intend to publish
the results of the evaluation in Novem-
ber for student use in selecting courses
for the 1981 Winter Term. We also hope
that the results of this survey will be
acknowledged as the student viewpoint
and eventually included in the faculty
hiring and promotion decision-making
process.
A
welcome from the mayor
WELCOME TO ANN ARBOR FROM ALL
110,000 OF US "ANN ARBORITES!"
We hope that you will find your new
exciting and intellectually stimulating.
city
Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan
have literally grown up together"and the "town
and growth" relationship is one that has flour-
ished over the past 150 yearn. Many great people
call or have called "Ann Arbor" home at one
time or another. The University has the distinc-
tion of having the largest body of living alumni
of any university in the United States, so Ann
Arbor is a well-known city for its size.
High technology research and manufactur-
ing firms along with tourism, retail stores and
the University form the backbone of our com-
merce. Our citizens come from every State in
the Union, and our many international citizens
give the city a cosmopolitan flavor encompass-
ing many lifestyles.
Whether it is a rcrisp autumn afternoorn;in
Michigan Stadium, a beer with friends at one of
the many "watering holes;" Eugene Ormandy
filling Hill Auditorium with wonderful sounds; a
moring browsing in one of the many book stores;
or just lazying in the sun on the "Diag"-all of
these and many more delicious experiences will
be yours.
Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Louis D. Belcher
Mayor
Louis Belcher,,
mayor, City of
Ann Arbor
.p ..
SUSSMAN REVIEWS THE GRAD SCHOOL
A newcomer's guide to Rackhamn
Marc Breakstone,
Michigan Student
Assembly President
the U of M student body has resulted in
a recession of many of the innovative
academic changes that were evolved
during 'previous years. Students can
make a creative contribution to the
governance of the University, yet we
Oust keep in mind that an effective
student role in University decision-
making is not a privilege that is gran-
ted, but rather a task that must con-
stantly be pursued.
The focal point for the organization of
student interests on campus is the
Michigan Student Assembly. As the all-
campus student government at the
University of Michigan, MSA has
become the most effective advocate of
student needs in the University com-
'munity. Our basic responsibility is to
you, the student. Within this framework
for action, we can foresee no limits to
our efforts to satisfy the needs of
students. In order for us to be effective,
however, we rely on your participation
and support.
At present several issues on campus
have captured the attention of student
concern. MSA has historically been one
of the most active advocates of the
needs of minority students in the
The Michigan Student Assembly is
equally concerned with issues regar-
ding the quality of student life at the
University. The Ann Arbor housing
crisis and its effects on students is one
of them. Rents in Ann Arbor are exhor-
bitant and housing facilities are
generally inferior. In response to this
dilemma, MSA, along with PIRGIM
and the Ann Arbor Tenants' Union, is
organizing a tenants' rights conference
for October. We hope that this con-
ference will serve as a springboard to
initiate more efforts to solve the
housing problem.
Other important issues that MSA will
be addressing this year are
strengthening campus security, chan-
neling student input into the Michigan
Union renovation, improving health
services, and increasing student study
space on campus.
The Michigan Student Assembly's ef-
forts will be futile without the active
support and participation of all studen-
ts on campus. In addition to your fun-
damental obligation as a student to get
involved in these activities, you have an
even greater obligation to yourself to
enhance your educational experience
The University of Michigan's
reputation as a premiere institution of
higher learning is based on a unique
admixture of excellent undergraduate
and graduate programs. All graduate
programs leading to the Ph.D. and
M.A. degrees, and some other
professional doctoral and master's
programs, are supervised by the,
Graduate School. The Graduate School
confers about 600 doctoral degrees and
2,100 master's degrees annually,
representing over 120 separate
graduate programs, which include
departmental offerings as well as ap-
proximately 30 interdisciplinary
programs. While the work of students
toward their degrees is taken in depar-
tments and interdisciplinary programs,
certain policies and procedures are set
by the Graduate School. What are these
special functions?
The major role of the Graduate
School, performed in conjunction with
the other schools and colleges and the
departments and programs, is to en-
sure the high quality of Michigan
graduate degrees. This is accomplished
by the efforts of its Executive Board,
which consists of faculty members,
students, and administrators who
deliberate weekly through the school
year. Policies which are set by the
Graduate School include those that
relate to admissions decisions,
fellowship and dissertation support, the
establishment and evaluation of new
and annino nmararn .nnp1.
;
Alfred Sussman,
Rackham Graduate
School Dean
ensure better communication.
Graduate students seeking inforniation
regarding supplemental financial
assistance with budgeting, or helps in
locating other resources available to
graduate students, are encouraged to
use this counseling service whethei or
not they are receiving direct financial
assistance from the Office of Financial
Aid. While graduate students may still
make appointments at the Office of
Financial Aid (2100 SAB), they may
also take advantage of the counseling
services at Rackham.
Minority Affairs. This office plates
special emphasis on minority recruit-
ment and retention. It works to enstire
that in addition to their academic
programs, graduate minority students
have access to personal and academic
counseling, to opportunities 'for
fellowship awards and teaching or
research assistantships, and to cultural
and social events within the cqm-
munity. Da
Also, under the auspices ofD
Deskins, is the Minority Advisry
Committee, charged with advising the
Dean and Executive Board on gal
academic and administrative issbes
pertaining to graduate minority affairs.
Women's Affairs. The Women's Af-
fairs component of the Office of Student
Affairs is charged with adising the
Dean and Executive Board of all asc-
ts of the graduate experiencedof
women; particularly, admissions and
financial support, entrance to doctoral
1980 issue of Rackham Reports, a jour-
nal produced by the Graduate School to
this subject.
As a way of introducing the functions
of the Graduate School to students in
more detail, the separate offices con-
cerned with these functions will be
described below.
The Graduate Admissions Office. The
Graduate Admissions Office (110
Rackham, 764-8129) is responsible for
coordinating graduate admissions fun-
ctions, recording the reporting ad-
mission date, providing foreign ad-
mission services, and conducting
studies which contribute to admission
nnlipe v iulnnment Rcent changes in
Office of Student Affairs. The Office
.of Student Affairs assists students and
departments by administering the sup-
port services component of the
Graduate School. Included within this
component are Fellowships, Minority
Affairs, Women's Affairs and
Academic Appeals.
Fellowships. The Fellowship Office is
responsible for the administration, ac-
counting and processing of a variety of
fellowships which include the
following: University Fellowships,
University Fellowships for Minority
Students, First Year/Michigan College
Fellowships, Barbour Fellowships for
Oriental Women. Rackham Graduate